His Aching Heart
by art1st4786
Summary: Rusl notices a change in Link after his return to Ordon Village. He tries to help Link through the pain he feels in his body, his soul, and his heart. LinkXMidna.
1. Return Home

His Aching Heart

Summary: Rusl notices a change in Link after his return to Ordon Village. He tries to help Link through the pain he feels in his body, his soul, and his heart. LinkXMidna.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. I just own the game.

Chapter 1 – Return Home

It was the day the entire village had waited for. It was the day the Chosen Hero of Hyrule would grace their presence. It was the day the savior of their village's children would be properly thanked.

It was the day one of their own would return home.

Rusl remembered that day perfectly. Everyone in the village was going about their normal business. He had started taking time off of work to teach his son, Colin, how to use a sword. During his breaks, when he wasn't teaching his son, he was taking care of his newborn daughter, Rose. This gave his loving wife, Uli, a chance to get some well-deserved rest.

Talo took over watching the village for Haunch, who went right back to helping his wife, Sera, with the shop. Talo didn't want a repeat of what happened in his home village, Ordon, and in Kakariko. He didn't want anyone to have to relive those nightmares, including himself.

Malo spent most of his time at home, helping his parents make preparations to sell their prized Ordon pumpkins at both branches of Malo Mart in Hyrule. Occasionally, he'd receive a letter from either branch that gave their status report.

Beth would hang around Colin when he wasn't training or when she wasn't helping out at the shop. She would never admit it, but she had been nurturing a crush on Colin ever since he saved her life in Kakariko. If it hadn't been for him, she would have been the one injured and captured.

Ilia spent all of her days waiting at the entrance of Ordon Village by her best friend's house. Fado would come by every morning and every evening to check and see if his herding partner had returned. They had kept this routine up for nearly a month.

Everyone was beginning to worry. Where was he? Why wasn't he home? Would he ever come back? Was he hurt somewhere? Had he…died?

In the hour of twilight, when the villagers were about to lose hope, he came back. He rode on his trusty steed into the village. There were many yells and cheers of praise and joy for their friend.

The children were the first to formally greet the hero.

"Link, you're home!" shouted an excited Talo.

"What took you so long?" asked Malo in his usual demeanor.

"We missed you a lot!" exclaimed Beth.

"We were all starting to worry," stated Colin. Rusl and Uli walked up behind their son, carrying their daughter.

"It's been a while, Link," greeted Rusl with a smile. Link opened his mouth to say something when everyone began to talk to him at the same time. He was becoming greatly overwhelmed by the attention. He took a few steps backwards…right into Mayor Bo, who held his hand up to silence everyone.

"I know you all are very excited to see Link back home, safe and sound," proclaimed the mayor. "But give the boy a chance to settle down and get back to his normal life." Link frowned slightly, which Rusl spotted silently. "Tomorrow, we'll feast and celebrate the return of our friend. But tonight, we'll let him get some much-needed rest." Everyone, including Link, agreed to the mayor's plans and went straight home. Before he could follow suit, Link was stopped by Rusl.

"Link, is everything all right?" asked Rusl worriedly. Link smiled slightly and nodded.

"I'm fine, thank you," replied Link. Rusl knew something was bothering Link, but he wasn't going to pry. "Actually…I wanted to thank you for what you did back at Hyrule Castle."

"We wanted to help out," explained Rusl. "I don't know how much of a help we were, but—"

"You guys saved my life," noted Link. "That arrow almost got me in the chest, and those were way more enemies than I could handle at once. I owe you one." Rusl smirked.

"Diaper duty for two weeks?" Link made a face, which made Rusl laugh. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! In all seriousness, there is one thing you can do for me."

"What's that?" asked Link. Rusl gave the young man a sincere look.

"If you have anything you ever want to talk about or get off your chest, don't hesitate to come to me," offered Rusl. "It doesn't matter what time of day or night it is, you come get me if you need anything. I'm here to help." Link smiled a genuine smile at his friend.

"Thank you, Rusl," said Link. "I'll be sure to come to you if I need to talk."

"You've done so much for us, Link," stated Rusl. "It's our turn to return the favor. I'm sure you've been through traumatic events and have endured a lot of pain and suffering. We want to help you get rid of any pain that you're feeling." Link nodded slightly, his smile fading a bit. The two bid each other good-night and went their separate ways. The entire way back home, all Rusl could think about was what could be bothering Link. All Link could think about…was her.


	2. Cause for Concern

Chapter 2 – Cause for Concern

The next day had arrived. Everybody in the entire village took the day off to celebrate Link's return. They had gotten up bright and early that day to set up for the festivities. Sera, Pergie, and Uli prepared the food; Haunch and Jaggle mounted the decorations outside; The kids helped Ilia set things up in her and the mayor's house for the big feast; and Fado made sure that there were no problems at the ranch. Everyone decided that Link needed some sleep, so they tried not to bother him.

Once things were ready, it was about midday. Rusl was elected to go fetch Link, which didn't bother him at all; Link was like a younger brother to him. He made his way to Link's house and climbed up the ladder to his front door. He knocked on the door, but didn't hear a response. He frowned, then quietly opened the door. When he walked inside, he saw Link lying down on his makeshift bed, sleeping soundly. Rusl smirked, then made his way over to his friend. He tapped Link's shoulder lightly.

"Link, it's time to get up," announced Rusl. Link groaned and pulled the covers over his head.

"Five more minutes," said Link. Rusl chuckled a bit.

"Did you forget what today was?" he asked. Link didn't respond. "Today's the day we celebrate your return home."

"I don't feel like partying," whined Link softly. Rusl's smirk faded away into a worried frown.

"What's wrong?" pried Rusl. Link sat up in bed and gave Rusl a look.

"Have you honestly ever seen me party?" questioned Link rhetorically. Rusl ruffled Link's hair, laughing a bit.

"I've honestly never seen you do any kind of relaxing," noted Rusl. "You're always doing something, whether it's riding, running errands, studying, or drawing. You haven't goofed off since your….since you were a kid." Link frowned slightly, knowing what Rusl was about to say, but his frown quickly faded away into a slight smile.

"I'll be out in a few minutes," promised Link. Rusl nodded, then walked out of Link's house. A few minutes later, Link followed suit. The two of them walked into the main part of the village. Link's pace slowed as his face turned into one of awe. He was amazed at how festive and alive the village was. As he walked past the villagers, he would stop to greet them and see how they were doing. Everyone was pleasant and caring towards him—even Malo was doing his best to not act condescending.

Link spotted the mayor walking out of his home, so he decided to walk over and greet him. The mayor spotted the youth and smiled.

"Hello, Link," greeted the mayor. Link looked around again at all of the decorations and liveliness of the village, then looked back at the mayor, amazed.

"I've never seen this place so full of life," commented Link. The mayor laughed, patting Link's back.

"We did all of this for you, my boy," admitted the Mayor, laughing. "We wanted to make you feel happy and right at home after your long journey." Link smiled once more.

"It's really bringing my spirits up, Mayor Bo," confessed Link. "Everyone is doing well. They're going on with their lives as if this whole thing never happened, which makes me happy." The mayor looked at him.

"And yourself, Link?" he pried. Link opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a loud voice from the ranch. Both the mayor and Link knew exactly what had happened.

"HEEEEEEYY!!" shouted Fado. "Stampedin' goat! Catch it!" Link got himself prepped to catch the goat and saw it charging in the distance. It got closer and closer each second. Link was ready to catch it. He firmly planted his feet and positioned his hands.

Blink.

_He saw Midna wearing the completed Fused Shadow in the place of the goat, charging at him._

Blink.

_He saw Midna in the place of the monstrosity, smiling at him._

Blink.

He saw the goat for a split second before it crashed into him and sent him flying. The goat charged through the town with the villagers diving out of the way of the stampeding goat. The mayor and Rusl quickly ran over to Link to check and see if he was okay; the rest of the villagers ran over to the scene, as well. Link sat up and rubbed his chest where he got hit, wincing slightly. Rusl checked him over, then sighed in relief when he saw no serious damage done to the boy. The mayor helped Link get to his feet, then let go once he found that Link could stand on his own. He frowned in concern.

"What happened, Link?" asked Bo. "You had no trouble catching those goats before." Link frowned.

"I…just lost my concentration for a few moments, that's all," answered Link. Rusl gave Link a concerned look, then looked over at Ilia screaming at Fado, who had rushed to the scene.

"Fado!" she shouted. "You could have seriously hurt him! Can't you be more responsible with the goats!?"

"S-Sorry, Ilia!" cowered Fado.

"Sorry!? That's all you have to say!?" shrieked Ilia. Link finally ran over and got in-between the two, facing Ilia. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Ilia, it's okay," assured Link. "I'm okay, really. Nobody got hurt. Isn't that what's most important?" Ilia looked at him, then calmed down, smiling at him.

"I'm glad you're okay, Link," she stated. Fado chose this time to sneak back up to the ranch to close things up for the day. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overreact like that. I care about your well-being, and with all that's happened, I want to help you out, just like you helped me." Link smiled sadly, then slowly let go of her shoulders.

After calming down from that scare, the festivities started. Everyone was smiling and having a good time. Throughout the day, Rusl kept an eye on Link. He was happy to see Link enjoy himself, but he was mostly concerned with Link's smiles…they were forced.


	3. Memories

Chapter 3 – Memories

_He ran as fast as he could towards the courtyard; Auru, Ashei, and Shad were right behind him. They had to help liberate Hyrule and rid their beloved country of the evil that had befallen it. They had arrived at the castle well before Link had, but they were unable to solve the puzzles without the proper tools. They knew Link would be at the castle, so they searched high and low as best as they could to find him. Throughout the castle, there were several monsters afoot; some that even Rusl couldn't beat with his sword. Inside the castle was not a safe place to be._

_Once they got outside, they went to the rightmost wall that split the courtyard in half. On top of the wall, they spotted Link running toward the tower to their left. Rusl's eyes widened slightly once he saw the large number of Lizalfos running towards his friend. He saw that Link wasn't drawing his sword at all; he was just staring at the enemies, which worried Rusl greatly._

_"Rusl, look!" cried out Shad. Rusl looked up at where Shad was pointing: two more enemies were up in the tower, aiming fire-lit arrows at Link. One of them was fired right at Link's chest, and he wasn't even aware of the arrow! Rusl quickly called upon their eagle friend and aimed him at the arrow. He noticed Link's surprised expression once he spotted the arrow, then saw the boy's eyes widen in shock once the arrow narrowly missed his chest thanks to the bird. Auru readied his bomb launcher and launched a bomb at the rushing Lizalfos, killing them instantly._

_Once the eagle returned to his arm, Rusl looked up at Link, who was looking back down at him, smiling thankfully. Rusl smiled back, then ran off with his comrades._

_"I'm glad I could help," thought Rusl. "Good luck…Hero."_

Rusl was sitting on the couch, thinking back on how he helped Link that day. It pained him that he couldn't do more to help Link with his current situation, mostly because he wouldn't tell him—or anyone—what was going on in his life. Link used to be open about everything, but ever since his return, he's been very quiet, reserved, and becoming more exhausted by the day. The villagers would try to drop hints onto Link, trying to get him to open up about his problems, but Link would either ignore them or change the subject. He was even acting this way towards Ilia, his childhood friend. Rusl knew not to push things, for Link would speak if and when he was ready. But it had been at least a month since he came home, and he still wasn't talking.

His thoughts were interrupted when Colin climbed up onto the couch with him, sitting next to his father. Rusl smiled down at Colin and ruffled his hair, making the boy laugh.

"What are you up to, Son?" asked Rusl.

"Dad, could you tell me a story about your adventures?" begged the boy.

"Colin," started Uli, "You've heard that story a thousand times!" Rusl laughed.

"Oh, what's a thousand and one times?" he finally said. "It all started when…" His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock at the door. He looked out the window; it was the hour of twilight. He slowly got up and went to the door, opening it. He blinked in surprise at who showed up at his door. "Link, what brings you here?"

"Could, uh…" spoke Link in a low voice. He seemed a little uncomfortable with his voice and posture. "…could we go for a walk? Over to the Faron Spring, like old times?" Rusl looked back at his family, then back at Link.

"Why don't I meet you there?" suggested Rusl. Link looked over Rusl's shoulder, then back at Rusl and nodded in understanding. He turned around and walked out of the village toward the spring. Rusl closed the door, then smiled slightly.

"It's been over a month, but he's finally going to talk," said Rusl to himself. He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down at his son. He squatted down to be eye-level with Colin and put a hand on his head, smiling. "I'll be back to tell you the story. I promise."

"Why did Link want to go for a walk?" asked Colin innocently. Rusl's smile faded.

"There are times in everyone's life when they need someone to talk to about personal things," explained Rusl. "This is Link's time."

"Is he okay?" the child asked. Rusl nodded.

"He will be," replied Rusl. "He has friends on his side." He then ruffled Colin's hair again, smiling. "Friends like you."

"Can I come, too, then? Please?" pleaded Colin. Rusl shook his head, then stood up.

"I think whatever Link wants to talk to me about," started Rusl, "it's a grown-up matter." Colin frowned, then nodded, smiling again.

"Okay, I understand!" announced Colin. "Is there anything I can do to help, though?" Rusl looked at his wife, then backed up towards the door, looking back down at Colin.

"Help your mother out while I'm gone," ordered Rusl. He then opened the door and closed it behind him as he left. Uli walked over to Colin, holding his crying baby sister.

"Colin, sweetie, could you help me change Rose's diaper?" asked Uli. Colin nodded, then made a face when his mother turned her back to him.

_Dad put me on diaper duty,_ thought Colin. _AGAIN!_


	4. Confession

Chapter 4 – Confession

When Rusl had arrived at the Faron Spring, he saw Link standing by the water's edge, staring at it in thought. Rusl walked over to the young man and stood next to him. He glanced at Link and studied his eyes; they were zoned out, as if he were reliving a memory. Rusl looked at the water again, then up at the twilight sky.

"Remember what I said about this time of day?" asked Rusl. Link snapped out of whatever trance he was in and looked at his friend. "It's the time when our world connects with theirs." Link frowned and looked down at the water again.

"I didn't understand back then," started Link softly, "but I do now. And…I've been to that world." Rusl blinked and looked at Link in surprise. Link looked at Rusl, then up at the sky. "The realm of Twilight…I've been there."

"What was it like?" interrogated Rusl, very curious about Link's travels. Link closed his eyes and smiled slightly.

"Kind of dark, but the sky there was actually very beautiful," admitted Link. "And the Twili were actually pretty nice—Zant excluded. He was one of the ones responsible for what happened in Hyrule and in the Twilight Realm."

"I see," breathed Rusl. "You've been to a lot of places, haven't you?" Link nodded. "I'm still amazed, Link. You did so much for Ordon and for Hyrule by yourself without asking for anything in return."

"I wasn't alone," confessed Link. "You, Auru, Ashei, Shad, Mayor Bo, Renado, Telma…there are so many people that helped me out. But…" He frowned as Rusl looked at his friend in worry. "…Midna was always there."

"Who's Midna?" asked Rusl. "I've never seen or heard of her." Link closed his eyes sadly.

"When Ilia and Colin were taken," began Link, "I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, they were gone. I ran towards the woods to try and catch up with them, but there was this giant gate blocking my way. A large, black hand reached out and grabbed me, pulling me in. It let go of me for some reason and went away. I felt really weird after that, I don't remember much of what happened. The next thing I knew, I was in a dungeon…as a wolf." Rusl's eyes widened.

"A wolf!?" cried out Rusl. Link quickly gave him the sign to be quiet. Rusl gave him an apologetic look.

"Please keep it down!" begged Link quietly. "I don't want anyone else to hear this and scare them." Rusl nodded slowly in understanding. "Anyway, when I was trying to break out, this imp girl named Midna appeared and helped me escape in exchange that I be her slave and help her out." Rusl frowned deeply; he had no idea Link had gone through this kind of torture. "I didn't like her at first. She was rude, condescending, domineering, and just all-around nasty. But as we traveled together, she changed and I got to see the real her. She's kind, thoughtful, and caring, albeit sarcastic and headstrong. She's actually the Twilight Princess."

"A princess, you say?" commented Rusl. Link nodded, then frowned sadly.

"After I defeated Ganondorf, and her true form was restored—Gods, she was beautiful!" exclaimed Link. "She, Princess Zelda, and I went back to the Twilight Mirror to say our good-byes to Midna before she returned to the Twilight Realm. I thought I'd be able to see her again, since the Twilight Mirror would be there, but…she broke it when she left." Rusl put a hand on Link's shoulder when he saw how this tale was upsetting the boy.

"You cared a lot about her, didn't you?" asked Rusl. Link nodded.

"I know this sounds wrong, falling for someone who treated you like a slave at first…" stated Link quietly.

"From what you told me about her, it doesn't sound wrong," explained Rusl. "But I don't know if there's a way for you to see her again or not. I don't know much about the Twilight Realm." Link's frown deepened. "So this is what has been bothering you for so long…the loss of Midna. And here I thought you loved Ilia all this time."

"I did…Rusl, please don't tell anyone else about what I told you," begged Link, facing Rusl with a pleading look on his face. "If anyone else finds out, especially Ilia, I…I don't know what I'd do. I'm afraid of how they'll react. I don't know if they'd accept it, or if they'd be afraid of me, or…"

"Calm down, Link," ordered Rusl, putting his hands on Link's shoulders and looking him in the eye. He then smiled. "I won't tell a soul. It's not my place to. But now that I know what happened, you know who to come to if you need to talk to someone about this matter." Link smiled slightly, a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Rusl," said Link softly.

"I'll see what I can do to help you find a way to see Midna again," declared Rusl. Link's face brightened up a bit. "Auru might know something. I'll send him a letter and see what he comes up with." Link's soft smile grew into a large, excited one. "Don't get your hopes up, though; there may be nothing we can do. But just know that we are trying."

"That's all I wanted to hear," exclaimed Link. The starts began to show themselves, signaling the men to head back to the village. Rusl walked Link back to his house. The two said their good-nights, then Link went into his house. Rusl watched him until he closed the door, then turned to walk back to his own home.

_You're not alone, Link_, thought Rusl. _I'll do what I can to help you. I just hope we find something, for your sake._


	5. Midna

Chapter 5 – Midna

Link seemed less distant since the talk he had with Rusl. A few weeks had passed since then, and Link had shown signs of returning to his old self. Neither he nor Rusl had heard from Auru yet about the Twilight Mirror, but they weren't giving up hope on his reply.

Link spent more time at the ranch, doing extra work for the time that he had missed being away in Hyrule. When he wasn't at the ranch, he was spending time with Ilia and the kids, which really brought his spirits up. He'd teach the kids some of the moves he had learned on his journey, which excited Colin the most. Link would laugh when Malo and Colin got into mock duels with each other and their wooden swords (Colin won most of the time).

He'd also go on walks around the forest with Ilia, catching up on lost time with her. Ilia felt bad that she had forgotten Link and that she couldn't have been more of a help to him during his quest, but she was glad that he didn't hold any grudges against her. She knew Link was hiding something from her, though, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Whenever she asked, he'd dodge the question. She figured he didn't want to talk about it, so she would let it be.

That day, after returning from a walk with Ilia, the mayor stepped out of the house as his daughter walked in. Bo walked over to Link, smiling and putting a hand on his shoulder. The hour of twilight was upon them, and the two looked at the setting sun through the trees.

"You two have grown up so much over the years," commented the mayor. Link nodded in agreement. "You're both adults now."

"Things are definitely different now than they were when we were kids," agreed Link.

"I don't think you should keep her waiting," exclaimed Bo. Link looked up at the mayor, confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Mayor Bo looked down at him, smiling.

"Marriage, my boy," answered Bo. Link suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He felt some of the color leave his skin. "What's the matter, Link?"

"I'm…not ready to get married yet," stated Link. He didn't want to tell the mayor he no longer loved his daughter.

"Nonsense, Link!" laughed the mayor. "You two have been spending so much time together, and you're comfortable in each other's presence. There's obvious chemistry between you two. You two are definitely ready." Link wasn't feeling too well. He glanced around to try and find a good excuse to leave. Luckily for him, he saw Rusl walking down the path towards his house. He looked up at the mayor.

"Could you excuse me, Mayor?" asked Link. "I need to take care of something." Before the mayor had a chance to answer, Link walked off towards Rusl. He called out to his friend, who stopped and smiled at him. As Link walked down towards the small bridge, his vision began to get blurry and he felt dizzy all of a sudden. He couldn't walk straight, and the color was leaving his skin. Link could hear Rusl calling his name out, but his voice seemed to be fading away along with his vision. The next thing he saw was darkness as he collapsed, losing consciousness. Rusl quickly ran to Link and caught him before he fell onto the ground. He knelt down and held Link in his arms, shaking him slightly.

"Link! Link, wake up!" shouted Rusl, in a bit of a panic. Bo had quickly made his way over to the scene, others soon following. Bo knelt down next to the two and checked Link's vitals.

"He's running a fever," announced Bo. "Take him inside my house; we can tend to him there." Rusl nodded and scooped Link into his arms, standing up.

_Link opened his eyes and slowly stood up, looking around. He found himself in the area in front of the Palace of Twilight. He was no longer in his Ordon clothes, but his familiar Hero garb that he wore during his journey. After he was done inspecting himself and his surroundings, he saw a familiar face walking towards him._

"_Midna," breathed Link. "I never thought I'd see you again."_

"_I've been able to watch you during the hour of twilight in your world," explained Midna. "Ever since I returned to my home, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, Link." Link slowly walked up to her and placed a hand on her face. His eyes widened when his hand went right through her. "You are physically not here. You passed out in your world, which was my doing."_

"_Why, Midna?" asked Link, frowning. "Why did you break the Twilight Mirror?" Midna frowned._

"_I didn't want history to repeat itself in Hyrule," answered Midna. "It pained me to leave you behind, but it was for your safety and that of Hyrule. You went through so much pain and suffering because of me, and for that, I apologize."_

"_Midna, when I traveled with you," began Link, "I was happy. I wasn't alone. Ever since you left, I've been thinking non-stop about you, too. I…I love you." Midna's frown deepened._

"_I love you, too, Link, but…" confessed Midna. "We can't be together. We come from completely different worlds that have no way of connecting with each other anymore." Link's heart sank. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I don't want to hold you back. Please, don't continue to suffer because of me. I want you to live your life and be happy, even if you're not with me."_

"_You…you can't be serious," said Link, trying to remain calm. "There's no way back to the Twilight Realm!?" Midna shook her head, which made Link feel worse. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He was too upset to speak._

"_I'm sorry, Link," apologized Midna, fighting back tears of her own. "I must leave you now." She slowly backed away from him. Link's eyes widened slightly as he saw her leave. He started to run towards her, but ropes of light wrapped around his body, pulling him away from her towards the light. He struggled against his bindings, trying to free himself. He pulled his left arm free and reached out to her, tears pouring down his cheeks like waterfalls._

"_Midna, wait! Midna!" cried out Link. She closed her eyes and turned around, running back into the palace, leaving a trail of tears behind her. "Midna! MIDNA!!!"_


	6. Heartache

Chapter 6 – Heartache

Rusl was sitting at Link's bedside, watching over him. He looked down at the opened letter in his hand, frowning deeply. He looked once more at Link worriedly. He still hadn't woken up since he collapsed outside a few hours before, and the color in his skin hadn't returned. He placed the back of his hand against Link's forehead and felt that his fever was still present. He didn't understand what caused Link's condition so suddenly.

Ilia returned with a bowl of cool water and a washcloth. She set the bowl down on the nightstand and dipped the washcloth into the water. She wrung out the excess water and dabbed Link's face and chest with it lightly. She then placed the washcloth on his forehead, frowning.

"He's been working himself too hard," stated Ilia. "He needs to learn to not push himself too much, otherwise he'll end up getting sick like this again."

"He's been through so much," sighed Rusl. "He probably doesn't want to show weakness in front of us." Ilia looked at Rusl.

"What happened to him?" asked Ilia worriedly. Maybe she'd be able to find out what had been bothering Link for so long.

"I can't say," explained Rusl. "But whatever happened, it's caused him a lot of suffering, and it's finally catching up to him." A few moments later, Link groaned and opened his eyes. Rusl and Ilia looked on and smiled.

"You're finally awake, Link," exclaimed Ilia. "How do you feel?"

"Terrible," answered Link quietly. Ilia frowned.

"You're still running a fever," she explained. "You'll be staying here until your fever has gone down. Try to get some rest, okay?" Link nodded slightly, then turned his head away. Ilia picked up the bowl and walked out of the room. Rusl looked around to make sure that nobody was listening, then looked back at Link, frowning.

"I got a letter from Auru today," confessed Rusl. Link turned onto his side, burying his face into the pillow. His back was facing Rusl.

"It doesn't matter anymore," whimpered Link softly. Rusl grew confused.

"What do you mean, Link?" he questioned. Link just shook his head.

"Just leave me alone," he pleaded. Rusl frowned, then slowly stood up. He put a hand on Link's head gently.

"You know where to find me if you need anything," reminded Rusl. He then walked away from the bed and towards the door. He stopped when he saw Ilia and the mayor walk in. "Just let him rest. That's the only thing he can do to fight this fever."

Link's health recovered after a few days of rest. Everyone was glad that he was back on his feet, but they were worried about his behavior once more. He looked so depressed and downtrodden, and he barely spoke a word. Whenever someone tried to talk to him, he'd give them an apologetic look and walk away. He spent more time at the ranch, but he rarely spoke to Fado while working. He spent more time after work inside with the goats, petting them and brushing them. This continued for at least a week.

Rusl stepped outside of his home one night to get some fresh air. He told his family he was going to go for a walk after he had finished his dinner. He walked toward Link's house, hoping to find him there. The first thing he noticed was that Epona was gone. The second thing he noticed was that there were no lights on in Link's house. He grew worried and quickly ran into the woods. He skidded to a halt once he saw Link and Epona in the Ordon Spring. Link's back was facing Rusl as he was petting Epona's face. Rusl quietly walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Link quickly turned to face Rusl with a surprised look on his face. He then went back to looking depressed and began to walk away. He only took a few steps before Rusl grabbed his right arm.

"Link, what's wrong?" asked Rusl. Link pulled his arm away and continued walking. Rusl got in front of Link and grabbed both of his shoulders. "Link, answer me."

"Let go of me, Rusl," ordered Link. He pulled out of his grasp and lightly pushed him aside to continue walking. Rusl once again got in front of Link and grabbed him again, this time tighter. Link struggled, but Rusl held his grip. "Let me go!"

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you!" shouted Rusl.

"It doesn't even matter!" cried out Link.

"Calm down and tell me what's going on!" yelled Rusl.

"She's gone!" screamed Link. Rusl looked at Link, who had begun shaking. "I saw Midna again, in my dreams….there's no way back to her…there's no way…" Rusl frowned deeply.

"That's what was stated in Auru's letter, too," explained Rusl. Link lowered his head. He felt his legs give out underneath him. Rusl quickly caught him and knelt down to let Link's legs rest. Link held onto Rusl's shirt tightly, then buried his face into his shoulder, breaking down into loud sobs. Rusl hugged him and rocked Link back and forth, trying to calm him down. "Shh, just let it out, Link. Let it out."

"The mayor was talking to me about marriage that day…" sobbed Link. Rusl blinked. "He wants me to marry Ilia, and soon."

"Do you love her?" asked Rusl. Link sobbed for about a half a minute before answering.

"I…I could learn to love her again…I did before, I can do it again…right?" asked Link. Rusl remained quiet. He didn't know what to say or do. "I can never see Midna again…"

"Don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to, Link," stated Rusl. "Don't put your feelings aside to please Ilia, the mayor, or anyone, for that matter. Marriage is a big deal. We're talking the rest of your life with someone. This is a very big decision you have to make."

"I know, I know…" choked Link. "I'm just…I'm not ready yet."

"You don't have to be," agreed Rusl. "I'll talk to the mayor about this. He had no right to put you in this position. You just worry about getting some rest and trying to move on. Don't work yourself too hard, okay?" Link just nodded, finally stopping his crying. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Rusl.

"Thanks, Rusl," said Link softly. "For everything." Rusl nodded, then helped Link to his feet. The two of them walked with Epona back to Link's house, where Link turned in for the night. He crawled into bed and hugged the sheets around himself tightly for warmth. After shedding a few more tears, he finally fell into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Fire

Chapter 7 – Fire

From what the people of Ordon could see, Link was slowly getting back to normal once more—rather, as normal as he had been since he had returned home. He still didn't talk much about his adventures with the villagers, but at least he was talking again. When he was alone, they saw that he would grow depressed. His depression would go away once he was in the company of others.

Rusl explained to Ilia what happened that day when Link collapsed. Angered by her father's actions, she and Rusl both gave him a thorough scolding. The mayor formally apologized to Link immediately. Link gratefully accepted the apology, and at that moment, slowly began to recover.

Over two months had passed since then, and the first signs of winter were beginning to show with the morning frost and the colder air. The children played outside less due to the cold, but they would still visit Link at his place on his days off. He'd invite them in, make some hot food for them, and they would tell each other stories, both true stories and fiction.

One day, Link was working at the ranch with Fado. As they were herding the goats, snow began to fall. They both decided to call it a day early and got the goats back inside the stables. They made sure they had enough food and warmth, then left to go home. On Link's way home, he was stopped by the children.

"Hey, Link!" called out Talo. "Can we hang out at your place for a while?"

"Pretty please, Link?" pleaded Beth. Colin simply nodded his head quickly while Malo remained indifferent, as usual. Link smiled, then nodded.

"Sure," he agreed. "I'll make us some hot chocolate." The children cheered and eagerly followed him to his house. Once they were all inside, the children sat down on the rug by the fire while Link prepared the drinks. "I'm surprised you guys don't want to play in the snow."

"Not enough of it has fallen yet," complained Talo. "But once there's enough on the ground, you should make snowmen with us!" Link looked up at the ceiling and smiled.

"It's been a while since we've done that, hasn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "We had a pretty mild winter last year." Link chuckled to himself.

"Dad said you went to Snowpeak Mountain during your adventures," noted Colin. "Couldn't you have made a snowman while you were there?" The children looked at him eagerly, hoping to finally hear one of his tales of his adventures. Link looked at the mugs of hot chocolate that he had prepared thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled slightly.

"I didn't even think about that," he admitted. "But…I did do something a bit more thrilling." The children grew very excited.

"Ooh! What did you do!? Hmm!?" inquired Beth.

"Tell us! Please?" begged Colin. Link passed out the mugs, then sat down on the rug with them as he took some sips of his own drink.

"Well…I went sledding with two yeti's," explained Link. "I raced against them, actually. Yeto, the larger one—and I mean, large! He was seriously about half the size of the room we're in right now." The kids' jaws dropped in awe. "Anyway, he was a funny guy, and quite easy to beat."

"I figured he would go a lot faster, since he was so much more bigger," pondered Malo. Link shook his head.

"I was a bit more aerodynamic than he was. His wife, Yeta, was a whole other story. She's about the size of the mayor, maybe a little bigger. She was really fast! It took me a couple of tries before I could beat her. I finally learned her secret."

"What was it?" asked Colin.

"She was taking a quicker route. However, that route was a lot more dangerous than the path Yeto and I originally took."

"Did you go on that one at all?" breathed Talo. Link grinned, then nodded. "Weren't you scared?"

"Kind of, but after going on it a second time, it was quite fun."

"Can you take us sledding there someday?" pleaded Talo. Link shook his head.

"That's not a place for a pleasure trip," he stated. "It's very dangerous, and very cold. I'm surprised I didn't get sick while I was there." Link finished his drink, then got up and looked out the window, smiling. "Speaking of snow, it's already sticking on the ground." The kids let out excited gasps and ran to the window where Link was standing, eagerly looking out it.

"Do you think that's enough to make a snowman at all?" asked Colin excitedly.

"I can still see patches of grass," moaned Talo.

"You've gotta wait a little longer, Talo!" scolded Beth. "Quite being so impatient!" As the children squabbled over the snow, Link just looked on, smiling. After a bit, he started to do something that nobody had heard him do in a long time—laugh. It was small, but it was still present. The children stopped what they were doing and listened to their hero's laugh. They quickly got excited. "Link, you're laughing!"

"We've gotta tell our parents! They'll be so happy!" exclaimed Colin. They quickly ran out the door. Colin stopped and looked over his shoulder at Link, smiling. "We'll be back, don't worry. And when we get back, could we make a snowman together?" Link smiled and nodded without saying at word. Once the door was shut and the children were gone, Link started to clean up the dirty mugs. He brought them to the sink and began washing them.

His cleaning quickly got interrupted when he heard a loud crashing noise come from his roof. He quickly turned around and looked up in surprise to see five Bulbins crash through the ceiling, debris falling everywhere. Link cursed himself for leaving his weapons on the opposite side of the room. The Bulbins quickly charged him. Link rolled through their formation and darted for his sword. One Bulbin slammed its club into Link's back, knocking him down. Another one grabbed Link's sword and threw it toward the basement opening. It teetered on the edge before it fell all the way down. Link pushed himself up and grabbed the club his attacker was using, ripping it from the monster's hand. He swung at his enemies, knocking them back and causing some damage, but not enough to kill them.

"Darn it!" he shouted. "Don't these guys ever give up!?" Things soon took a turn for the worse. The sole archer in the group lit an arrow on fire and shot it at the door, causing it to catch on fire. Link's eyes widened in horror as he saw the fire quickly start spreading around his home. He then glared hatefully at the Bulbins. He let out a loud battle cry and began attacking all of the monsters relentlessly. Somehow, he was able to kill the monsters, but not soon enough to get out of the house before all of his exits were blocked. Smoke quickly began to fill his home as more flames erupted. Link covered his nose and mouth with his hand and coughed violently. He could hear people shouting outside. He tried to get to the ladder to climb up higher, but the second floor area collapsed, blocking his path. A flaming piece of the roof soon collapsed as well, but this time onto Link. He let out a pained scream upon impact, then collapsed. His vision began to get blurry, then dark. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was a slim, dark figure appear in his burning home and come towards him.

* * *

Rusl quickly finished off a few more Bulbins that had waited outside of Link's burning home. He caught his breath and looked fearfully at the fire. He quickly looked at the children, Fado, Jaggle, Haunch, and Mayor Bo, who were trying to put the fire out with buckets of water from the stream in the village. Ilia had grabbed Epona and guided her away from the fire toward Ordon Spring. The other women were told to remain in the village and get first-aid supplies and a bed ready for Link, with hopes that he would make it out alive.

Rusl's attention quickly went to the large tree by the gate to the village. He ran over to it once he saw two figures teleport in. The tall, dark figure was holding an unconscious Link in its arms. The figure gently set Link down against the tree and checked him over. Rusl sighed in relief once he saw that Link was alive, but quickly frowned once he saw that he was shivering violently. The figure quickly took off its cloak and put it around Link, trying to keep him warm. Rusl got a better look at the figure and his eyes widened slightly in realization.

"You…You're…" was all Rusl could muster. Ilia quickly ran to the group by the tree, seeing that Link had gotten out of his burning home. Ilia skidded to a stop and stared at the newcomer.

"Who…Who are you?" asked Ilia. The figure, a woman, looked at Link, who had stopped shivering, then looked at the two standing before her.

"My name…is Midna."


End file.
